Thomas Spens
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| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| Senior posting | |
| See | Diocese of Aberdeen |
| Title | Bishop of Aberdeen |
| Period in office | 1457–1480 |
| Consecration | November, 1399 |
| Predecessor | Ingram Lindsay |
| Successor | William Forbes |
| Religious career | |
| Previous bishoprics | Bishop of Galloway (1450–1458) |
| Previous post | Archdeacon of Moray Archdeacon of Galloway |
| Personal | |
| Date of birth | 1415 |
| Place of birth | Glen Douglas |
| Date of death | April 15, 1480 |
| Place of death | Edinburgh |
Thomas Spens [de Spens](b. c. 1415; d. April 14, 1480), Scottish statesman and prelate, received his education at Edinburgh.
By his exceptional abilities, he attracted the notice of the advisers of the Scottish king, James II, who sent him on errands to England and to France. About 1450 he became bishop of Galloway; soon afterwards he was made keeper of the privy seal, and in 1459 he was chosen bishop of Aberdeen.
Much of his time, however, was passed in journeys to France and to England, and in 1464 he and Alexander Stewart, duke of Albany, a son of James II, were captured at sea by some English sailors. Edward IV, to whom the bishop had previously revealed an assassination plot, set him at liberty, and he was partly responsible for the treaty of peace made about this time between the English king and James III.
He also helped to bring about the meeting between Edward IV and Louis XI of France at Picquicny, and another treaty of peace between England and Scotland in 1474. Spens was a frequent attender at the Scottish parliaments, and contributed very generously to the decoration of his cathedral at Aberdeen. He died in Edinburgh on the 14th of April 1480.
[edit] References
This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
| Religious Posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Robert de Tulloch |
Archdeacon of Moray 1444–1447 x 1448 |
Succeeded by Patrick Fraser |
| Preceded by Not known Last known archdeacon: John Benyng |
Archdeacon of Galloway x 1450 |
Succeeded by Not known Next known archdeacon: John Otterburn |
| Preceded by Alexander Vaus |
Bishop of Galloway 1450–1458 |
Succeeded by Thomas Vaus |
| Preceded by Ingram Lindsay |
Bishop of Aberdeen 1457–1480 |
Succeeded by William Forbes |
